Having once decided to achieve a certain task, achieve it at all cost of tedium and distaste. The gain in self-confidence of having accomplished a tiresome labor is immense.
– Arnold Bennett

Phrased another way, sometimes you just have to slog through the day to get to tomorrow.  This week’s been a long one – came down with a cold on Wednesday, and did stand-up training sessions on Thursday and Friday as things deepened.

Observations on the Week

• Having a cold really dampens my appetite.  It was hard to eat all of the 1,800 calories on the eating card each day.  I’m sorry to confess that there were several days where 1,600 was probably the upper limit.
• Running on Monday was great – it’s still slow and ugly, but running a mile non-stop feels FANTASTIC.  Heather seems to think I can run the Applefest 10k with her this fall – talk about Big Hairy Audacious Goals!
• This may be wishful thinking, but having some protein at dinner also seems to keep me from getting as cold at bedtime – perhaps the metabolic thing?
• This week’s big victory – exercising every day, even the days where work needed me there at 7am, and I had a cold.  Three cheers for developing self-discipline!

Week 10 Results

Week 10 - 36 pounds overall weight loss

• Starting Weight: 328 lbs.
• Last Week: 296 lbs.
• This Week: 292 lbs.
• Weight Lost: 4 lbs. (36 pounds overall)

Source: Flickr

The world is a huge place, and being unhealthy really starts to limit how much of it you can get out to experience.  (I mean, there’s no way I’m hiking up a huge mountain pushing 330.)  As a way to keep motivated, put together a list of those things that, when you’re healthy, you get to do (or do again!)

If a (before I kick the) Bucket List is for those on the outbound train, what would you name a list for people getting their lives back?  Post a comment below with your ideas!

Gerret’s Starter List of Fun Things to Do Post-Weight-Loss

This is my list – you should go start your own, then post it somewhere visible (like the front of the refrigerator…)

1. Go downhill skiing
   There are few things to compare with flying down a mountain with the wind screaming by.
2. Take off Shirt at Beach
   (at least, without the threat of Greenpeace trying to slide me back into the water to save me…)
3. Shopping for clothes
   (whole new wardrobe, in normal sizes)
4. Run a 5k. And a 10k. And a Half-Marathon.  On the same day.
   (Yes, I’ve read Born to Run, and I can. not. wait. to lose more weight and start RUNNING again.)
5. Paddle a Kayak without rolling it
   (Heather, Dan, Kathy, I’m looking at you…)
6. Play Racquetball
   Really miss racquetball!

Image Source: Flickr

Today is scale day! The last few days have been a bit tense; on Thursday morning the infernal device displayed something north of 319, a clear indication that the week was going to be much less dramatic than my first check-in. So for the past two, no, three days, I’ve been extra-rigorous about monitoring portion sizes.  Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t stop eating!  No, instead it was a focus on being more conservative in measuring out calorie intake.  It’s astonishing how quickly a half-cup in your mind actually measures out at a cup or more.  For calorie-dense foods, that kind of doubling-up is disastrous!

Last night we had the black bean burgers; I ate two of them, and stopped there.  They were tasty enough that I could have powered through another two without slowing down, but the scale, and New Years’ Eve, loomed on the horizon.

Learnings This Week

Here are a few of the items I’ve learned (or remembered) on week two of this year-long journey.  This isn’t anything formal, it’s what has emerged in the past week or so from recent experience. (And it seems to be confirming those things Mom said when we were young.)

• Drinking more water really does make a difference. Slamming 8 oz. when you stagger out of bed in the morning helps, too.  It’s like a shot of caffeine, really.  The body heats up, a flush creeps up your neck and face, and the world comes into clearer focus.
• I’m drinking less coffee – getting enough sleep (6.5-7 hours a night), excercising in the morning, and drinking more water are contributing to blunt the thirst.
• Eating just before bed is a recipe for a lousy nights’ sleep.
• Reading motivational books (like Born to Run) is, well, motivational.
• Having a spouse that is turning into a serious runner helps, too. (3-4 miles a morning, in freezing temps, 3-4 times a week – she rocks!)

The Results

Starting Weight: 328 pounds.

Last Week: 320 pounds.

This Week: 317 pounds.

Total Weight Loss: 11 pounds.

Weight Lost This Week: 3 pounds.

With a goal of 2 pounds per week, the past two weeks have been an outstanding start!